Hockey Night In Canada's Scott Oake gives us a raw and honest memoir about his first born son Bruce's struggle with drug use and how he turned a father's worst nightmare into a second chance for others battling addiction.
Scott and his wife Anne's reality for many years was supporting and loving someone battling substance abuse. At 25, Bruce had accidentally overdosed and was gone forever.
Amidst unbearable grief, Scott, Anne and their younger son Darcy spent the next decade fundraising, battling many hurdles and were able to finally launch the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.
"Treatment for addiction exists"
A Must Read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Title: For the Love of a Son: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Hope
Author: Scott Oake
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: January 21, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Tragic • Raw • Compassionate

📖 S Y N O P S I S

A father’s love. A devastating drug crisis. A stirring call to action.

When veteran broadcaster Scott Oake first held his infant son, Bruce, in his arms, he never imagined that Bruce would become a statistic in the losing battle to opioid abuse.

In those early days, Scott, a new father, watched Bruce with awe, marveling at the potential of his funny, charismatic boy. As Bruce got older, though, he struggled to fit in at school and began showing signs of having ADHD, including a streak of impulsiveness that often got him into trouble. Scott and his wife, Anne, did their best to support him, and for a time, he found community and belonging in boxing and local rap battles. But when Bruce was pulled into a world of drugs and gangs, Scott and Anne experienced a crash course in the reality of loving someone battling substance use disorder.

Then one quiet day in 2011, Scott got the phone call that every parent dreads: Bruce had accidentally overdosed. At just twenty-five, Scott’s vibrant, creative, first-born son was gone forever.

It was a loss that could have broken a man, a marriage, a family—but Scott, Anne, and their younger son, Darcy, instead turned the worst day of their lives into a way to help the thousands of Canadians struggling with addiction. After nearly a decade of fundraising and battling red tape and political machinations they launched the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, a free, revolutionary treatment centre staffed by addicts and alcoholics in recovery.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Scott Oake is a broadcasting legend here in Canada, and while many will know him for his time on Hockey Night in Canada and the Olympics, I suspect only a small number will know this deeply personal and heartbreaking story about his son, Bruce. I became aware of Bruce's story and the Bruce Oak Recovery Centre in February 2021 while researching places to donate in memory of my partner, Geoff, who like Bruce, died from an overdose in February 2020. My personal connection to the overdose epidemic made For the Love of a Son my most anticipated non-fiction release of 2025.

In a compassionate and empathetic voice, Scott tells Bruce's story, and by doing so, honours his life and his memory. It's a story of heartbreak and frustration, of helplessness and unconditional love, and of awareness and advocacy. From the very first page, I had tears streaming down my face, as I know what it is like to bare witnessed to the unrelenting grip addiction takes on a person.

While the memoir paints a picture of Bruce's life from birth to death, the final third of the book details Scott and Anne's work and dedication in making their dream of opening a recovery centre a reality. They have been left with a hole in their hearts that will never heal, yet remain committed to commemorating Bruce's life and making a difference in the lives of others so that some good can come from his death.

While it is clear one of the main goals of this book is to advocate for better, it never came across as preachy. Rather Scott seeks compassion and understanding in a society where stigma still persists. Oake reiterates how addiction does not discriminate and knows no boundaries, while encouraging readers to help change the narrative about addiction in general. Every penny of profit from the sale of this book goes to the Bruce & Anne Oake Foundation - meaning you're supporting men and women in their pursuit of recovery and the sober, healthy lives that go with it.

For the Love of a Son is a deeply tragic and human memoir that captures the helplessness of loving someone with addiction very well. Scott tells it like it is and doesn't shy away from the pain. As someone who has loved someone who has died from an overdose, I know the pain will never go away, but like Scott and Anne, it is my hope that I can help change the narrative and save lives. With that said, if you're able, I would ask you to make a donation to the Bruce & Anne Oake foundation.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• learning about the lives of public figures
• addiction advocacy
• emotional memoirs

⚠️ CW: drug use, drug abuse, addiction, overdose, mental illness, chronic illness, death, child death, grief, alcohol, violence, injury/injury detail, medical trauma, pandemic/epidemic, cursing

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Like my son, this graduate comes from a well-off family, and enjoyed the kind of privilege growing up that some people think protects them from the dangers of addiction. Unfortunately, they're wrong. Addiction knows no boundaries, not even socioeconomic ones, and it can come for anyone."

"Most Canadians understand, by now, that addiction is a disease. And yet individual addicts are still blamed for it, as if it was simply a matter of making better life choices. But who grows up dreaming of being a drug addict? Who would choose to live a life full of such pain and desperation. Nobody. Bruce certainly didn't. But he fell victim to it anyway."

"Addiction is a nasty, ugly disease, no doubt about it. But it affects so many people in this country, many of whom suffer in silence. Anne and I made a point of talking about it, because we didn’t see any shame and what happened to our son.⁣ Sadness, yes. But not shame."

"We want the public to recognize that addiction is a medical condition. More specifically, addiction is a chronic brain disease - and a fucking awful one at that. It's got to be one of the only diseases that tells you you don't have a disease."

For the Love of a Son is an emotional journey that left me in tears from start to finish. It’s a raw, deeply moving tribute to his son Bruce Oake, a young man full of creativity and potential, tragically lost to opioid addiction. Through tender yet brutally honest storytelling, Scott captures the joys of fatherhood, the helplessness of watching a beloved child struggle, and the unimaginable pain of loss.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

This story was so harrowing because it’s the reality of most Canadians. We are probably connected to addiction in some way or will be in the future, and it’s great to see that some people are using their resources to leave the world a better place.

Scott Oake's For the Love of a Son is an emotional journey that left me in tears from start to finish. It's a raw, deeply moving tribute to his son Bruce Oake, a young man full of creativity and potential, tragically lost to opioid addiction. Through tender yet brutally honest storytelling, Scott captures the joys of fatherhood, the helplessness of watching a beloved child struggle, and the unimaginable pain of loss.
I cried for Bruce-for his humour, his struggles, and the dreams that were never realized-and for the Oake family, who faced an unthinkable tragedy with incredible strength. Instead of being consumed by their grief, they turned it into hope for others, creating the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, a revolutionary haven for those battling addiction. I won't spoil the rest.
This book is more than a memoir; it's a stark reminder of the devastating toll addiction takes on families and a powerful testament to the enduring strength of love. It's heartbreaking, inspiring, and impossible to forget-a story that will move you to tears and stay with you long after the final page.
A special thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC copy of this memoir.

For the love of a son is the memoir of Scott Oake about his son Bruce’s battle with addiction. Respectfully and empathetic, Oake humanizes addiction and shows the reader that it isn’t just something that is seen on the news, but something real people (probably someone you know) deals with.

Many Canadian sports fans know who Scott Oake is. He was a familiar face and voice on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet, and many other events including the Olympics. In For the Love of a Son, Scott uses his formidable story telling skills to tell the story of his son, Bruce, who passed away from a drug overdose, at the age of 25.

As a father of three, I empathized with the struggles of Scott and his wife Anne to help their son with his issues. Bruce was a handful when he was growing up, being diagnosed with ADHD and a form of Tourette’s, and he began using drugs in his late teens. Things spiraled from there, and despite their best efforts, he overdosed and died on March 28, 2011.

I believe Scott told Bruce’s story with honesty. Parents make decisions for their kids with the information they have at the time, and sometimes you find out later that you could have made a better choice. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, but Scott said that they always made their decisions with love for their son, and you can’t do better than that.

I can’t say I enjoyed the book, given the subject matter, but I am glad that I read it. It’s an important story and For the Love of a Son is well written.

Gosh it’s been a while since I’ve written a review on here! Honestly my life has just been so darn busy!

I was graciously sent an advanced copy of Scott Oake’s upcoming memoir, For the Love of a Son, a beautifully tragic recounting of the short and complicated life of his son Bruce. Bruce, just 25 at the time of his death, died alone in a bathroom after overdosing. With brutal honesty, Oake chronicles the heartbreaking and often frustrating experience of parenting a child struggling with addiction. After Bruce’s death, Scott and his wife Anne worked tirelessly to open the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, a cost-free facility for men recovering from addiction. Tragically, Anne would pass away just ten years after their son, but in her honour, Scott continues their advocacy. The Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre is set to open soon, furthering their mission to support those battling addiction.

While reading, I couldn’t help but think of my own father, who passed away in November 2022 from a methamphetamine overdose. There were so many parallels between Bruce and my father, and I couldn’t help but wonder if a place like @bruceoakerecovery could have helped save his life, too. Addiction truly doesn’t discriminate.

In honor of my father, Bruce, and all those who have lost their battle with addiction, I’ll be making a donation to both the Bruce and Anne Oake Recovery Centres.

Thank you to @simonschusterca for providing the ARC!

This beautifully tragic memoir will be available on January 21, 2025. Highly recommend.